Method of and apparatus for holding and releasing bowling balls



March 17, 1936. H. K. HESS 2,034,187

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND RELEASING BOWLING BALLS FiledFeb. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTDR w @r/M ATTORNEY H. K. HESS METHODOF AND APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND RELEASING BOWLING BALLS Filed Feb. 2,1955 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Q IIII IIIIIEIII V Ill liatented \l Vlar. 1 7,1936 UNITED STATES acacia:

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND RELEASING BOWLING BALLS Henry K.Hess, Syracuse, N. Y. Application February 2, 1935; Serial No.'4,619

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for holding andreleasing bowling-balls in the act of projecting the ball along therunway of a bowling alley, the balls being provided with suitablefinger-holes or openings extending inwardly from the periphery towardthe center thereof in circumferentially spaced relation for.

receiving the thumb and one of the remaining fingers of the players handso that the intervening portion of the ball may be gripped between thethumb andfinger with suflicient pressure to overcome not only the weightof. the ball but also the centrifugal force of its swinging movementnecessary to project and to properly direct the ball along the runway,

It is common pr Hoe to use the larger and therefore heavier balls byreason of their greater scoring efliciency but it frequently happensthat the lighter weight players and particularly the women players donot have sufiicient finger strength to properly hold and propel theseballs along the runway and that even the stronger experienced playersfind that the strain upon the fingers" and hand istoosevere to continuethe practice for long periods of time without frequent intervals ofrest. p v

The main objects of the present invention I are: 1st, to provide asimple and highly emcient means for holding the ball in the hand withconsiderably less finger pressure than has heretofore been required;2nd, to enable the ball to be more i easily and accurately directedalong the-runway so that the score may be more dependent upon the skillof the player; and 3rd, that the ball may 'be released from the hand bysimply releasing the-fingers in a manner quite similar tothat heretoforecommonly practiced.

- Another object is to suspend the ball-gripping device from an overheadtransverse track so that arm for relieving the player from excessivemuscular strains without in any way interfering with the free projectionand-release of the ball along the runway.

Other objects and uses relating to different parts of the apparatus willbe brought out in the following description:

ping device taken on line In the drawings:

showing the manner of using the same by a person in a sitting positionand also showingportions of 5 :a runway and overhead track.

Figure 2- is an enlarged perspective view of the detached ball-grippingdevice in its extended or released position with the hand-loop thereon,the hand beingv indicated by dotted lines in position to allow,thegripping-strap 'to extend under its' own resiliency.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the ball withfinger-receiving bushings in the holes therein and the gripping deviceoperatively engaged in said bushings preparatory to 15 throwing the ballalong a runway taken on line 3-3ofFigure2. v

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the grip 4-4, Figure 2.- Figure 5is a perspective view of'one of the 20 bushings:

Figure 6 is an. enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the bushingtaken on line 6-6, Figure 5.-

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view of the 3 for the grippingdevice,'and an'overhead trackv or guide rail 4 along and upon which thesus- 35 pensor 3 is adapted to be moved and oscillated in a manner andfor a purpose hereinafter described. (See Figure 1.) 4

The bushings l are inserted axiallyinto theirrespective openings a'withtheirouter ends sub-.

stantially flush with the periphery of the ball for receiving the thumband finger of the player and are preferably divided longitudinallythrough one side'at 5 and tensioned to automatically expand against thewalls of their openings'to assist in holding them in operative positionbut may be cemented or otherwise firmly secured to said walls to preventaccidental displacement thereof so that the divisions may extend alongthe centersof the distal sides of said openings as shown in 50 Figure 3.v v The proximal sides of the bushings l' are provided with innerrecesses S-"in opposed relation to their respective divisionsi forreceiving cylindrical segments 1 of soft rubber'or equivalent 7 samebushing taken on line 1-|, Figure 6. x 5

material having their inner faces corrugated longitudinally forfrictional engagement with the fingers or with a finger-operatedgripping strap or other agency, the main object being to prov vide amaximum friction grip for holding the ball against its own weight andcentrifugal force with a minimum finger pressure and thereby to reducethe muscular strain upon the player in the act of projecting theball'along the runway.

Gripping device The gripping device comprises a flexible and more orless resilient strap I'll of leather, soft rubber or equivalent materialof somewhat greater holes so that its ends may be, easily deflected inone direction from their normal positions under pressure of the thumband finger and inserted into thefinger holes of the bushings t and thenfirmly pressed by the same members into engagement with the innersurfaces of the segments 1.

The inner sides of said ends are also .corrugated longitudinally atIllto co-operate with the corrugated surfacesas 'I' of thesegments tofurther assure a firm grip upon the ball with a minimum pressure whenthrowing the ball andalso to assure a quick and positive release of theball when the pressure of the fingers is relaxed. it being understoodthat during the operation of compress-. ing the ends of the strap intothe finger holes of a relatively small but light and strong clampingframe I l and a supporting loop l2 therefor adapted to be passed aroundthe players hand.

The clamping frame l l may be made ofaluminum or other suitable materialand is provided with relativelyshallow rectangular slotsoropenings l3and II in different planes at right angles to each other and separatedby an intervening partition I 5 for receiving. the straps II and 1.2respectively in a manner presently described.

Thebottom portion I 6 of the frame is elongated in the direction ofextension of'the adjacent' portion of the hand-loop l2 and hasits lowerface l6 concaved in said direction to conform more or less closely tothe peripheral contour of the ball A to rest thereon when compressingthe ends of the gripping strap in into engagement with the corrugatedfaces of the segments 1.,

The upper wall of the 'slot l2 and lower wall 1 of the slot H areprovided with central threaded apertures for receiving clamping screwsl1 and I8 bywhich the straps II and I2 are firmly locked arto the to theframe I! against accidental displacement therefrom, the front end ofsaid frame being provided with an upwardly projecting :tlangev l9 terinating in an eye 20 for attachment to the lower end of the s' nsor 3 ina manner hereinafter described. (S e Figures 2 and 4.)

The gripping strap is passed endwise through the opening I 3 to extendequal distances beyond opposite ends of the frame ll suificient to enterthe major portions of the lengths of .their respective bushings I whenthe bottom ofthe frame is resting on the periphery of the ball betweenthe openings a as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The hand loop l2 preferably consists of a leather or equivalent flexiblestrap which is passed endwise through the opening it in the frame H andis of suflicient length to pass entirely around the main body of thehand between the thumb and forefinger, one end of the strap beingprovided with a buckle 2| for receiving the other end and therebypermitting adjustment of the strap to conform to hands of differentsizes.

The portion of buckle-end of the strap l2 adjacent the buckle 2 l isprovided with an .opening 22 through which the eye 20 is adapted to.project when the loop I2 is fastened around the hand thus permitting theeye to be readily attached to or detached from the suspensor 4 as may bej desired.

.The suspensor 3 comprises a cord or cable 23 and a. coil spring 24attached to each other end to end in any suitable manner to form anextensible and contractible connection between the hand overhead track4, for partially supportlatter to beoscillated forwardly and backwardlypreparatory to throwing the same along the runway ofthe bowling alley.

- The lower and upper ends of the cord or cable 3 are provided withswiveled snap-hooks 2E and 5 engaging respectively in the eye 20 of theballgripping device 2 and an eye 20 on the lower end of the coil spring24 which is also provided at its upper end with a snap-hook 2I engagingin a ring 28 on the track 4, the latter being -supported from theceiling of the bowling alley ough the me dium of eye-bolts as shown inFigure 1.. i

The cell spring is tensioned to substantially balance the weight of theball when the latter is held by the gripping device through pressure ofthe ends of the strap l0 against the inner faces 1 01 the segments I ofthe bushings I in the finger "holes a in the manner described and. asshown more clearly in Figure 3.

'The cable 22 may be also adjusted vertically in the snap-hook 2|to-v'ary the height of the ball to suit the convenience of the playerand when properly adjusted may be knotted to hold it in its adjustedposition.

The gripping strap I. may be used without the supporting frame II andsuspensor 24, under which conditions it would be grasped in the handwith the thumb and finger engaged with its op openings inthe bushings Ifollowed byfurther latter to remain in the hand of the for re-use.

When the frame H with. the gripping strap l andhand-loop I2 thereon areused, the frame II is placed in the palm of the hand which is passedthrough the loop I! to support the gripping device in the hand with thethumb and finger engaged with the opposite ends of the strap l0whereupon the ends of the strap will be compressed toward each other andinserted into their respective finger openings in the ball until limitedby the engagement of the lower side of the frame II with the peripheryof the ball between said holes followed by the pressure of the ends ofthe strap against the inner faces of the segments 1 suificient to holdthe weight of the ball which may then be swung by hand and released atwill by simply relaxing the pressure.

- If it is desired to use the suspensor 3, the lower end thereof may beeasily and quickly attached to the eye 20 of the frame II and the endsof player ready the gripping strap l0 compressed by the fingers intoengagement with the segments 1 in the manner described, thus permittingthe weight of the ball to be yieldingly and partially supported by thesuspensor 3 and rail 4 and also permitting the ball to be swung in anydirection to propel the same along the runway.

Under these latter conditions, the gripping device and its suspensor maybe moved along the track! to register the same with different parallelrunways for use by the same player with the same ball or diiferent ballsor by different players upon any one'of the runways.

The apparatus shown is particularly simple and eflicient in relievingthe player from excessive irritation of the fingers and also fromoverstrain of the muscles and aids materially in more accuratelydirecting the ball along the runway to any desired pin or pins forproducing a maximum finger'openingsin the ball and pressed .by the samefingers'against the walls of said openings to temporarily hold the ballunder the, finger pressure and to automatically release the ball fromthe hand-grip when the pressure is relaxed 2. An apparatus for holdingand releasing .a

bowling-ball in the act oi. throwing the ball along a runway, the ballbeing provided with holes for receiving certain fingers oi the player'shand, said apparatus comprising a flexible strap having its ends adaptedto beengaged by said fingers to move therewith into and out of theirrespective holes and into and out of holding engagement with the wallsthereof at the'will of the player.

3. The herein described method of holding and I .the ball.

releasing a bowling ball having holes for certain of the fingers of theplayers hand, said method consisting in placing the ends of a fiexiblestrap in said holes, holding said ends in engagement with the walls ofthe holes by the fingers in the holes with sufficient pressure tosupport the weight of the ball preparatory to throwing the' same,releasing the finger pressure on the ends of the strap to release theball, and retaining the' strap in the hand when the ball is released.

4. An apparatus for holding and releasing a bowling-ball in the act ofthrowing the ball along a runway, the ball being provided with holes forreceiving certain fingers of the players hand, said apparatus comprisinga flexible strap having its ends adapted to be engaged by said fingersto move therewith into and out of their respective holes and into' andout of holding engagement with the walls thereof at the will of theplayer,

and a relatively rigid clamping member engaging the intermediate portionof the strap and adapted to engage the periphery of the ball betweensaid holes to enable said ends to enter proper distances within theholes. 1

5. An apparatus for holding and releasing a bowling-ball in the act ofthrowing the ball along a runway, comprising a gripping device operableat will for engaging and disengaging the ball, and an oscillatingsuspensorfor said gripping device adapted to be oscillated through theforward and backward movement of the gripping device with the ballthereon.

6. The herein described method of manipulating a bowling-ball in the actof throwingthe' same along a runway, consisting in supporting the ballin a gripping device releasable at will,-

attaching said device to an oscillating suspensor,

oscillating the suspensor with the ball thereon,

and releasing the gripping device to release the ball during a forwardswinging'movement of said suspensor.

7. An apparatus as in claim 5 in which the suspensor is provided with anelastic section ten-' sioned to balance at least a part of'the weight of8. An'apparatus for holding and releasing a bowling-ball in the act ofthrowing the ball along a runway, comprising a gripping device adaptedto engage in the finger holes of the ball by pressure of the fingers insaid holes, and aloop attached to said device and adapted to be passedaround the hand of the player to support the same when the ball isreleased, said device being releasable at will.

' 9. An apparatus for holding and releasing a- .HENRY K. HESS.

